In order to promote growth, male pigs are normally castrated within 10-15 days of birth. It normally takes two persons to perform a castration. One person grasps and holds the young pig by its hind legs while the other performs the castration. Even with two persons, holding the pigs while performing the castration can be awkward and cumbersome.
In the past, it is known to use a pig holding device to hold the pig while performing operations on them or giving them treatment. For example, the patent to Moeller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,266, discloses a pig holding device for holding a pig by its hind feet. The holding device includes a pair of V-shaped members for suspending the pig by its hind legs. The V-shaped configuration of the members causes the pigs legs to be grasped in response to the downward force of gravity on the pig. U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,595 to Stewart also discloses a pig holding device for holding a pig by its hind legs. This device uses a pair of jaw members for grasping the pigs hind legs. The spacing between the jaw members is adjustable for animals of different sizes.
These prior art devices are either too cumbersome to use or do not adequately support the pig. Thus, these devices are not currently in use in most hog production facilities.